Welcome along to my stop on the blog tour for quite possibly the best book I’ve read this year, “Angels in the Moonlight” by Caimh McDonnell. I am delighted to be able to share my review of this fantastic book with you, and even more excitingly I have a wee interview with the Caimh too!

Book Feature:

Description:

For Detective Bunny McGarry, life is complicated, and it is about to get more so.

It’s 1999 and his hard won reputation amongst Dublin’s criminal fraternity, for being a massive pain the backside, is unfortunately shared by his bosses. His partner has a career-threatening gambling problem and, oh yeah, Bunny’s finally been given a crack at the big time. He’s set the task of bringing down the most skilled and ruthless armed robbery gang in Irish history. So the last thing he needs in his life is yet another complication.

Her name is Simone. She is smart, funny, talented and, well, complicated. When her shocking past turns up to threaten her and Bunny’s chance at a future, things get very complicated indeed. If the choice is upholding the law or protecting those he loves, which way will the big fella turn?

Angels in the Moonlight is a standalone prequel to Caimh McDonnell’s critically acclaimed Dublin Trilogy, and it is complicated.

My Thoughts & Review:

Angels in the Moonlight is a vastly different addition to the Dublin Trilogy in that it features Detective Bunny McGarry in a different light. Yes, he is still the wise cracking, dangerous looking Cork man. Yes his behaviour often leaves a lot to be desired, but there is a side to him that betrays the hard man image and it is written so beautifully that readers might forget for a moment who they are reading about.

From the opening pages of this book readers quickly fall into step with the wisecracking and quick witted detective as he takes on the role of negotiator with a vulnerable individual, granted he may not be everyone’s idea of the best person for the role, but he brings his own flair to the situation (as well as some manky sandwiches!) and I soon found I was laughing like a lunatic at what was written on the pages in front of me (a side note, this is perhaps not the best book to read when your other half is sleeping beside you, trying to hold in laughter will cause injury and or choking).

With a gripping and thrilling plot, readers are soon delving into the world of drugs, corruption and vendettas. DI Fintan O’Rourke and the ever charming Bunny are up against one of the most skilled armed robbery gangs in Ireland, a case that will prove to be one of the most daring and dangerous they’ve worked together.
This case coupled with Bunny’s attempts to woo Simone, a jazz singer come bar manager makes for some brilliantly entertaining reading. It is through his contact with Simone that we see a distinctly different side to Bunny. He has a heart, a caring side and a softness about him that he would probably prefer to keep hidden. His coaching of the St Jude’s Hurling Team is a great example of one of the many sides to this character, his devotion to keeping the young lads away from crime is enriching to see, even if his methods are somewhat questionable. By opening up this side of his main character, Caimh McDonnell takes this book to another level. Each book of this trilogy has been superb, but there is something special about this one, it is more than just a police procedural, more than a crime caper, it’s a book with themes of friendship, history and heartache intricately interwoven throughout.

As it says above in the blurb, this book can be read as a standalone, but why would you want to deprive yourself of this series? The writing is tremendous; Caimh McDonnell has a gift for storytelling and leads his readers on a merry journey through his books, regaling them with humour and wit. The descriptions of each character and their traits allow readers to conjure some wonderfully vivid images, and I know that I’ve a clear idea in my head of Bunny McGarry, both sight and sound. There are a wonderful array of personalities in this book, even a young Paul Mulchrone and Phil Nellis make an appearance (fans of the previous books will make the connection here), but for me Bunny McGarry stole the show.

I would urge you to buy copies of all books in the Dublin Trilogy, it’s a series you do not want to miss out on!

My absolute heartfelt thanks to Elaine Ofori and Camih McDonnell for the opportunity to read an early copy of this immensely hilarious book and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Author Feature:

Caimh McDonnell is an award-winning stand-up comedian, author and writer of televisual treats. Born in Limerick and raised in Dublin, he has taken the hop across the water and now calls Manchester his home.

He is a man who wears many hats. As well as being an author, he is an award-winning writer for TV, a stand-up comedian and ‘the voice’ of London Irish rugby club. His debut novel, A Man with One of Those Faces was released in 2016 and it is the first book of the Dublin Trilogy series. The follow-up, The Day That Never Comes was published in 2017. Both books are fast-paced crime thrillers set in Caimh’s home town of Dublin and they are laced with distinctly Irish acerbic wit.

Caimh’s TV writing credits include The Sarah Millican Television Programme, A League of Their Own, Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You. He also works as a children’s TV writer and was BAFTA nominated for the animated series ‘Pet Squad’ which he created.

During his time on the British stand-up circuit, Caimh has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce. He has brought the funny worldwide, doing stand-up tours of the Far East, the Middle East and Near East (Norwich).

Being in control! For about a decade, I had sitcom scripts optioned by several different TV companies in Britain and you spend your time constantly making changes – some you agree with, some you don’t. Often times, you can find that what originally made an idea attractive to all concerned in the first place, can get lost under the weight of notes about notes. With a novel, while I have editors and readers whose opinion I of course value highly, ultimately, I’m the one in control and I can decide what I think works or doesn’t work. Only a TV writer knows how precious a thing that is.

What’s your least favourite thing about being an author?

Being in control! In particular, the proofing stage. Again, I’ve got a couple of great editors and a fantastic proof reader but ultimately as an indie author, you have to be the one to go through the final manuscript and be responsible for every last dotted I and crossed T – and in a 100,000 word novel, there is a lot of them. If I never see another semi-colon, I would die a happy man!

If you could have written any book what would it be and why?

Oh, that’s a toughie. I think I’d have to go with Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane – he is a stunningly good writer and for me, I think that is his best work. As a writer, you’re always aware of a plot and predicting where the story is going to go – be it in a novel, TV show or film. It is very hard to switch off and enjoy something without analysing it on some level. The ending of Gone Baby Gone completely blindsided me but at the same time, made perfect sense. It takes a special kind of genius to make an ending seem both surprising and yet feel totally right in hindsight.

How do you spend your time when you’re not wrapped up plotting your next book?

As my wife is always pointing out, I have no hobbies. Everything I like to do I’ve effectively made into a job. I’m still very much a professional comedian which is a nice change of pace from writing, and I’m also the announcer for my second-family, aka the professional rugby team London Irish. As I write, I am just back from our triumphant return to the English premiership in Twickenham. Frankly, that is my favourite thing to do. I get to work with my heroes and while on one level it is stressful, on another level, I’m ultimately not in control of anything. While I announce the scores, I’m not responsible for going out and making them.

Do you have a set routine for writing? Rituals you have to observe? I.e. specific pen, silence, day or night etc.

Through trial and error, I’ve discovered I can’t write on my rather lovely Mac with the enormous screen that’s nice and easy to read. I need to work on a laptop, with the internet blocked and Brain.fm’s specially designed music for concentration playing on my headphones. I get distracted very easily so to get the work done, I try and shut myself off from any and all opportunities to forget what I’m supposed to be doing. I do often catch myself casually wondering if I ended up in prison, would they let me have a laptop? If they did – think of all the work I’d get done! I’d miss London Irish though of course, and my wife.

A huge thank you to Caimh for joining me today and sharing a little about himself, it’s been a blast!

Remember those people that destroyed the economy and then cruised off on their yachts? Well guess what – someone is killing them.

Dublin is in the middle of a heat wave and tempers are running high. The Celtic Tiger is well and truly dead, activists have taken over the headquarters of a failed bank, the trial of three unscrupulous property developers teeters on the brink of collapse, and in the midst of all this, along comes a mysterious organisation hell-bent on exacting bloody vengeance in the name of the little guy.

Paul Mulchrone doesn’t care about any of this; he has problems of his own. His newly established detective agency is about to be DOA. One of his partners won’t talk to him for very good reasons and the other has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth for no reason at all. Can he hold it together long enough to figure out what Bunny McGarry’s colourful past has to do with his present absence?

When the law and justice no longer mean the same thing, on which side will you stand?

The Day That Never Comes is the second book in Caimh McDonnell’s Dublin trilogy, which melds fast-paced action with a distinctly Irish acerbic wit.

My Thoughts & Review:

I have to admit, when the second novel comes out in a series that I’ve fallen in love with I am a little hesitant. What if the second book is rubbish? What if the characters have lost their sparkle and interest? What if….what if….what if?

But my worries were unfounded, Caimh McDonnell has written another cracker of a book, encompassing some of my absolute favourite characters ever to grace our pages and I have to say, I would love to see them cast in real life just to see the hilarity of the situations.
For those not familiar with Caimh’s writing (catch yourselves on and check out the review of “A Man With One Of Those Faces” and then buy a copy as it’s on special offer right now), it’s a whirlwind of hilarity, catastrophe and sheer madness with characters that are various shades of interesting.

“The Day That Never Comes” continues much in the same tone as book one, Paul Mulchrone has a problem, well quite a few problems, but the four legged, desk defecating Maggie is his main one. Paul is still as feckless, cynical and a victim to poor judgement. Brigit Conroy is still a fierce woman, one you’d take on at your peril and Bunny McGarry…..where do I begin with the hurley brandishing, grumpy ex Gardaí? He’s missing, and no one’s seen him for days.

I’ll not bore you by rehashing the plot, but I will say it’s clever. There’s a darker feel to this book, the characters have developed from the previous book but retained the key aspects of their respective personalities. Brigit has definitely fared well, she has become stronger and fierier in the interim. The way in which she handles herself publicly is confident and takes no nonsense, but she wears her heart on her sleeve when it comes to more personal matters which is endearing really.
Paul is one half of the wonderful comedic duo that features in this book, his friend Phil Nellis is the other. Poor Phil is ‘that’ friend most of us have had at one point, a bit naive and a wee bit gullible but has a heart of absolute solid gold. The dynamic between these two characters is sheer brilliance, I could almost imagine them in the pub (with a pint for Maggie), chatting away. There’s a fantastic quote about Phil that I can’t find now I’m looking for it, but I shall paraphrase (sorry Caimh) “That was the unnerving thing about Phil; he could go from being completely stupid to moments of brilliance, often in the same breath.”

The pace of the book is perfect, it’s a quick read with plenty satire and moments that will have a reader laughing out loud. The plot is well crafted and there’s an authenticity that pours from the pages, the subtle nuances are spot on, you can almost hear the accents, experience the cultural aspects all through the innovative use of language.

You can buy your copy of “The Day That Never Comes” in the UK here, and USA here.

About the Author:

Caimh McDonnell is an award-winning stand-up comedian, author and writer of televisual treats. Born in Limerick and raised in Dublin, he has taken the hop across the water and now calls Manchester his home.

His writing credits include The Sarah Millican Television Programme,A League of Their Own, Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You. He also works as a children’s TV writer and was BAFTA nominated for the animated series ‘Pet Squad’ which he created. He was also a winner in the BBC’s Northern Laffs sitcom writing competition.

During his time on the British stand-up circuit, Caimh has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce. He has brought the funny worldwide, doing stand-up tours of the Far East, the Middle East and Near East (Norwich).

It’s time to finally set in stone the books of the year, a list that I have created, edited and ripped up mentally for the past few days…..When you’ve read so many books over the year it’s hard to narrow down a top 5, a top 10 or even a top 20, but I will attempt to share my top books of 2016.

Top Indie Books:

In no particular order:

Death of a Nobody by Derek Farrell (Fahrenheit Press)

The Mine by Antti Tuomainen (Orenda Books)

Summoning The Dead by Tony Black (Black and White Publishing)

A Suitable Lie by Michael J Malone (Orenda Books)

A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell (McFori Ink)

Casing Off by P.I. Paris (Black and White Publishing)

Death In Profile by Guy Fraser-Sampson (Urbane Publications)

Doorways by Robert Enright (Urbane Publications)

The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn (Orenda Books)

The Cleaner by Elisabeth Herrmann (Manilla / Bonnier Zaffre)

Top Crime Fiction & Thriller:

I really tried to keep this to 10…..but well I just couldn’t…..

In no particular order:

Strangers by Paul Finch

Dark Water by Robert Bryndza

Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge

The Killing Game by J.S. Carol

Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst

The Dead House by Harry Bingham

All Fall Down by Tom Bale

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid

Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

Love You To Death by Caroline Mitchell

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

In The Cold Dark Ground by Stuart MacBride

Top Books of Brilliance or Smile Inducing Wonderment:

In no particular order:

The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones

How To Find Your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake

The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland by Julia Stuart

The Life Assistance Agency Thomas Hocknell

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas by Darcie Boleyn

183 Times a Year by Eva Jordan

Christmas Under A Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

A Home in Sunset Bay by Rebecca Pugh

Christmas At The Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

What books would you rate as your top ones for this year? Have you read any of these ones? Let me know your thoughts below.

And just because I can, here’s ones I think will be top books for 2017….

Author: Caimh McDonnell

Published: 27 August 2016
Reviewed: 12 September 2016

5 out of 5 stars

Copy supplied by McFori Ink in return for an honest review

Description:

An Irish crime thriller with a difference

The first time somebody tried to kill him it was an accident.

The second time was deliberate.

Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together, they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history…

…or else they’ll be history.

My Thoughts & Review:

Caimh McDonnell is a new name to me, and certainly one I might not have discovered if I’d not stumbled upon a a guest post on another blog to publicise the release of this novel and his animosity towards the title of ‘Comedic Crime’.

Set in Dublin, the reader is immediately thrown into the madness of the story of Paul Mulchrone. A man with one of those nondescript faces, he has a talent for being a chameleon – generally speaking with those in their geriatric years. He’s a granny whisperer, a volunteer who visits the elderly folks of St. Kilda’s hospice and speaks to them as whomsoever they wish him to be in their final days – nephew, son, grandson etc. When Paul does a favour for nurse Brigit Conroy he has no idea who he’s really going in to see, other than a man on his death bed, who the nursing staff think of as lonely.

What then follows is a hilarious madcap tale of one man being in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a nurse in tow.

The humour in this book is absolutely fantastic, the comedy in the descriptions of people is sheer brilliance, perhaps it comes from having Irish family but when I read the description of nurse Brigit I immediately got a clear image in my head of what she looked like, how she acted etc.
All of the characters are various shades of interesting, Paul is brought to life through his back story and his humour – a great character that really has the reader empathising at his plight whilst laughing their head off at the implausibility and fecklessness of it all.
Bunny, well now here’s an interesting character…..if you’ve read any of Stuart MacBride’s books, he’s like the male version of Roberta Steel…..the unkempt and slightly rough around the edges idea but he’s got a charm about him too (diamond in the rough perhaps…..the really REALLY rough sort of stuff).

Despite McDonnell’s dislike of ‘comedic crime’, it really does work for this book, but only if you are willing to accept that in this setting that genre is akin to mastery. The criminal element to the plot is well created, it’s creeping reach flows well to individuals and their situations, the historical case involved in the story was interesting as well as providing a great starting point for Paul’s sarcasm and humour.

What I want to know is how McDonnell can write something that has the reader on the edge of their seat with the pace and apprehension but also the humour? Surely he isn’t allowed to be that talented? Seems a little unfair for other authors out there!

Happily, there’s a note at the back of the book to say that there will be more adventures from Paul and Brigit (and Bunny!), thank goodness, there’s no way you can introduce me to such sheer brilliance then cut me off!!

I definitely recommend buying a copy of this engaging crime thriller, it’s a break from the norm and an utterly fantastic read.

Caimh McDonnell is an award-winning stand-up comedian, author and writer of televisual treats.
His writing credits include The Sarah Millican Television Programme, A League of Their Own, Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You. He also works as a children’s TV writer and was BAFTA nominated for the animated series ‘Pet Squad’ which he created. He was a winner in the BBC’s Northern Laffs sitcom writing competition.

During his time on the British stand-up circuit, he has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce. He regularly supports Sarah Millican and Gary Delaney on tour and has also brought the funny worldwide, doing stand-up tours of the Far East, the Middle East and Near East (Norwich).